The first time I laid eyes on Marie, I found her amusing. She quickly revealed herself to be quick-tempered and impatient, despite her constant fear due to her status as a foreigner. I took great pleasure in teasing her about everything and anything. She didn't respect me at all, didn't understand my rank. That alone should have kept me away. But instinct is strong in us, the blue blooded ones.

  Before, I avoided mixing with humans, except to eat them. After all, I saw my own kind dying every day because of them. Yet Marie was different. Her essence was reassuring and warm. I had never smelled anything so special, nor seen anything so strangely colorful. It was as if her true nature was imprisoned, as if it were a gigantic river stopped by a dam, with only a few drops filtering through. I drank those drops with delight every time I laid eyes on Marie. They tasted of sugar and home, of fire and blood... of nostalgia too. This sealed essence called out to me, knew me. And I, caught in its grip, wanted only to set it free. To understand why it fascinated me so much, why its familiarity calmed me, and above all, why I saw nothing human in it.

  You know, fire spirits give their hearts to only one person in their lifetime. My brother has always refused to fall in love for this reason, for fear of being chained by emotions and regret. Looking back at everything I've been through so far, the pain, the tears, the misfortunes, I can understand him. My brother has always been smart. Alas, that’s not the case for me. Without a moment's hesitation, I would make exactly the same mistakes again. Falling in love with Marie was my greatest sin, but also my greatest blessing. If I must burn in Hell to see my beloved again, then give me a torch and punish me right away. Beware though, it’s never wise to let the flames consume a child of the fire.

  Serpentine was confident. Of course, at first, she had had some reservations about the feasibility of her plan. But since she had started traveling with Marie, her doubts had completely vanished. Currently, they were both sitting around a campfire in the northern part of the Olynthe forest, which Serpentine had lit while Marie washed in the pond.

  The first few days of the trip had been complicated, as neither woman had ever traveled before. Serpentine had to get used to human needs, such as cooking, while Marie had to arm herself with patience because of the need to relax in the sunshine of the spirit. The four days had been filled with misunderstandings, arguments, and annoyance. Nevertheless, little by little, the two had resigned themselves to having to move forward with each other's constraints. While they hadn't become friends, they were nevertheless able to communicate more easily, even if Serpentine was constantly surprised by the human's weakness. Still, she wasn't ready to come back to Olynthe. Certainly not!

  Indeed, after a brief speech to their people explaining the reasons for her departure, Glycon had bid her a tense farewell. Embarking on a journey across the country, alone with a human, with the aim of uniting the three other lines under the banner of the Fire Empire to wage a war against humans, was, in his view, reckless. Serpentine was his only remaining family, and he was reluctant to let her go. He cherished her more than anything in the world and wanted only her safety, even if he didn't show it, emotionally constipated as he was.

  Spirits were born from the very essence of the planet. Their arrival in the world was never a matter of chance and was a rare occurrence, unlike humans who reproduced like rabbits. Thus, families, in the sense of blood ties, especially in those days when spirits were being hunted, existed only in small numbers. The procreation of spirits involved the union of two beings according to the sacred ritual of their element, on a specific day. Fire spirits, as Serpentine had been taught, had to unite during the summer solstice. At the end of the birth ceremony, the Emperor gave their blood and the subjects sang to bless the couple with a child. Serpentine didn’t know exactly what the rituals were for the other lines. Only that they were similar to those of fire in certain respects, such as the choice of day (winter solstice for water spirits, spring equinox for earth spirits, and autumn equinox for air spirits).

  In reality, she had never wondered whether it was possible for an inter-species couple to procreate. She had heard of fools who had loved humans in ancient times. These tales for young minds always told that such stories invariably ended badly, resulting in the death of one or both parties involved. Well, such a taboo could only end terribly. Serpentine couldn’t imagine giving her heart, her burning flame, to creatures incapable of constancy. Fire spirits were bound for life, their existence forever marked by the pact of love, dying if their other half died. Sharing her soul with multiple partners, as the water spirits did, or betraying her other half, as humans used to, didn’t suit Serpentine. Though she could imagine that the unknown had something appealing about it. After all, she had no right to talk about madness : she herself was traveling with a human at that very moment.

  “With such a huge fire, I'm surprised we haven't been spotted yet. Either by thieves or wild beasts.”

  “Beasts are fearful. Humans hunt them systematically. Since their Forge has been perfected, even the largest bear is no match for a well-trained adventurer.”

  Marie sat down on a log facing Serpentine. Her long hair, still wet from her bath, glistened in the firelight.

  “The Forge, huh... The Forge system and the city seem to have been created without animals. I don't get the impression that humans use them in any way, actually. I mean, there are no hoofprints on the roads, and I haven't seen any stray dogs or cats in town. I wonder if there are any farms...”

  “Farms? They're rare, but yes, there are some. In the most remote corners of the country. Humans are afraid that their animals will turn out to be spirits. So they limit their exploitation as much as possible, whenever they can. Well, they exploit each other enough as it is. They don't need more slaves, believe me.”

  Marie didn't respond to that. She was probably still digesting a new information that contradicted her logic. Her world worked differently from here. She didn't really talk about it, but the questions she asked were all naive. Even though she was quick to understand things, Serpentine guessed that her lack of culture would cause them problems with the other lines in the future.

  Serpentine remained confident, however, as the Chosen's sister was very different from her fellow humans. Whether this was because she came from a world with unfamiliar customs or because her character was truly different, was difficult to say. In any case, her ability to think and make decisions quickly would be useful. Marie could spot lies a mile away, even when Serpentine used a tone that even Glycon couldn't detect. Faced with the Daimyo of the earth line, renowned for their strange political games, Marie's skills would surely prove useful.

  “How long until we get to Amazona?”

  Her lack of patience, however, was bound to cause them trouble.

  “I already told you this morning: about a week.”

  “But we've walked a lot, I thought we'd have made more progress than expected.”

  "Pfft. Absolutely not. It's just a normal pace. In fact, we were two days behind schedule; we should have left the territory of Olynthe much earlier."

  “That's because you kept taking breaks! Who stops during an important journey to sunbathe for hours anyway?!”

  "You're the first to ask to slow down because you have no stamina. I need sunshine to function, but you, on the other hand, need to exercise more, sweetie!"

  “Excuse me?! How come you're so pale with all the sunbathing you do? At least your subjects are tanned.”

  “Fire spirits don't stay in the sun to tan, you foolish human.”

  Serpentine ignored Marie's indignant exclamation and her endless whining. Usually, she found it amusing to see her human get upset over nothing, but that evening was an exception. Thoughtfully, the heiress played with the hem of her long black silk dress and jingled her many solid gold bracelets and necklaces. It was the same outfit she had worn the day she found Marie, which allowed her as much freedom of movement as she desired. Under her bare feet, she could feel the heart of the earth pulsing and attuning itself to the warmth of the sleeping sun, which would bless the skies with its presence tomorrow.

  Hyou had crafted her outfit with delicacy, with the aim of making her presentable to the other lines leaders. Thus, he had used techniques known only to him, inspired by the human Forge, to allow the clothes to dematerialize when she appeared in animal form and reappear when she was in human form. He claimed that only fire spirits didn’t wear such practical clothes every day. But in her defense, Serpentine felt that adding more clothes to her wardrobe would make her look like a human, which she did not like. She understood that Hyou wanted to sell all his pieces, however, as each one was a testament to his success.

  Speaking of success, everything seemed to be going well for Serpentine. She had found the Chosen's sister, and her journey had begun... so why, ever since Marie had returned from her toilet, had she had a bad feeling? The fire, usually so reassuring, offered her no comfort. Soon, they would reach the territory of water. There, they should find Amazona, the main residence of the aquatic spirit leaders. To do so, they would have to pass through the outskirts of a human city that produced clouds blacker than a moonless night. Despite their proximity to Olynthe, the water spirits had never called upon the fire spirits for any kind of alliance. There could be a thousand reasons for this, all of which would be laid out on the table once Serpentine had an audience with the leaders. But from what her subjects' reports attested to, the Amazona river had long been in danger of depletion. The main reason, of course, was the increase in human activity in its vicinity.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  To Serpentine, the water spirits' stubbornness in remaining isolated from their peers was pure folly. They thought they could manage the uncontrollable humans without help, even remain at peace without contact with other lines for eternity. Bunch of fools. Unfortunately, Serpentine didn’t fully know the gravity of the situation. The water spirits lacked the community spirit that other lines possessed. Thus, when she encountered them in the lakes near Olynthe, none of them ever agreed to provide her with a detailed report on the situation in their capital. The water spirits tended to value freedom above the common good, a mindset that isolated them and made them unreliable allies. Glycon had warned her, however, that if Serpentine succeeded in rallying the solitary water spirits to her cause, then nothing would be impossible for her. An elegant way of telling her that he didn't believe she would succeed. She took it as a challenge worthy of her name, eternal optimist that she was.

  “Hey! Hey, are you listening to me?!”

  The fire crackled. Not warm enough to reassure her, but enough to remind her of home.

  “I'm still listening, my human. You were complaining again, weren't you?”

  “What?! I- Hmph. Anyway. You told me that water spirits tend to be wary of strangers. Don't you think a human like me will close them off to negotiation?”

  Serpentine hadn't thought about that.

  “You're the sister of the Chosen.”

  “You have nothing to prove it.”

  One point for her. Serpentine casually cracked her neck, under the disgusted grimace of her companion.

  “I'll improvise when the time comes.”

  Marie was about to retort but was stopped by a noise in the bushes behind her. She stood up to face it, clearly frightened. Serpentine calmly threw a twig into the fire.

  “I was wondering what that bad feeling was earlier. I must admit I'm slightly disappointed. You can come out now, humans, we've noticed you.”

  From the darkness emerged the figures of two hooded men with shaggy beards. One of them materialized a light metal sword in the palm of his hand. Bandits? No. Judging by the quality of the blade's craftsmanship, they seemed to be experienced. Adventurers, then.

  “Well, my ladies, you're likely to attract monsters with such a large fire.”

  Marie growled suspiciously.

  “We can defend ourselves. Thank you for your concern.”

  The smaller of the two, the one not holding a sword, laughed loudly.

  “Come on, sweetheart, don't be like that! I'm sure you need our services. If you're nice to us, we'll charge you half the price for extermination. You can even pay in kind if you're broke. See, we're nice, aren't we?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Tututut. Don't move too much. If I were you, I'd avoid sudden movements. Fire types tend to like excited victims, it warms their blood. Apparently, they digest them better that way.”

  Serpentine chuckled. She continued to throw the surrounding twigs into their campfire, feeding the flames in the same way she would feast in a few moments. Marie took a few steps back.

  “I don't understand what you're trying to say. Try to be clearer, a riddle is only effective if the listener is able to understand its logic.”

  The taller one pointed his weapon at Serpentine.

  “We mean that your friend is a monster! Now step aside and let the professionals do their job.”

  Marie, to her credit, was not impressed.

  “That's a very serious accusation you're making. Do you have any proof?”

  The adventurers let out a collective grunt. The smallest one materialized a compass in his hand, typical of C, B, and A-rank spirit exterminators.

  "Our guild has been searching for the monster that attacked the Black-Water factory for several days. Everyone is convinced that it’s in the river, in the lair of the water types. They are preparing for a major attack in the coming days. We decided to swim against the current and explore a little further south. Looks like we were right, we stumbled upon a big fish."

  “A big fish? We're just traveling women, we don't have any money to give you.”

  For someone who couldn't control her anger, Marie was quite good at acting. Unfortunately, by pushing them into a rhetorical corner, the two thugs were bound to become impatient. This wasn’t a situation that could be resolved through discussion. Serpentine decided it was time to take action. Slowly, she rose to stand beside her human companion. Her smile was dazzling as she addressed the adventurers.

  “No need to beat around the bush any longer. We're going around in circles over nothing. What rank are you, adventurers? Let me know if it's worth to waste energy or not.”

  It was difficult to assess them when they were hiding their essence. In recent years, some hunters had found ways to conceal their energy. For many reasons, this didn’t sit well with the spirits, as was the case now. Serpentine couldn't really fight at full strength with Marie by her side, so she needed a plan of action.

  “Hmph. Not even capable of asking our names first. Monsters have no manners. Fine by me, it won't do you any good in the Afterlife anyway. Rather than revealing our Forge ranks, how about we show them to you, gorgeous?”

  The man's sword glowed with a golden light. The one holding the compass stepped back, murmuring inaudible words. The object disassembled itself and reassembled into a pocket watch. The artifact now hung from a gold chain, swinging in the air like a pendulum. The man stopped whispering, causing the watch to stop swinging as well. Suddenly, it rose and pointed in Serpentine's direction, as if drawn to her presence.

  “Be careful, Clyde. The scan indicates a higher level than when we arrived.”

  "Hmph. It must have been the fire that gave her energy. I told you we should have hit first and thought later. Too late now, I guess."

  With that, he lunged at Serpentine as Marie screamed in terror. The fire spirit pushed her human aside, causing her to stumble a few meters, and took a sword blow to the shoulder. Quick-witted, she nevertheless managed to dodge two more attacks and leaped backward, effectively putting distance between herself and her assailant.

  Serpentine emitted a discontented “sss.” Her arm would be useless now. Under the direction of his partner with the watch, the man didn’t repeat his attacks but lunged at the fire, with the undisguised aim of extinguishing it. Serpentine quickly swept his foot and destabilized him. The man got up easily and kneed her in the solar plexus, causing her to double over. Victorious, he set about throwing dirt on the fire with his right foot. However, it was too late. Serpentine was already in control. The man realized the deception after a few seconds when, instead of dying out, the fire seemed to avoid the dirt he was throwing at it. Enraged, the adventurer emptied the bottle of water strapped to his belt, with the same result. Like a viper moving through the undergrowth, the fire dodged and twisted gracefully, driven by a higher will. The hunter turned around, grimacing with fury.

  “You...”

  Serpentine let go of her stomach and stood up straight, a sly laugh causing her body to shudder.

  “A problem, young man?”

  The fire moved slowly, viciously. It came within inches of catching the adventurer's foot and roasting it. Alas, its target broke free before the attack could bear fruit. Once again, this time with more certainty, the fire attacked the swordsman, who dodged with difficulty. The surrounding grass caught fire upon contact with the flames. Serpentine watched with delight as the human evaded the fire's blows, unable to fight back. He was sweating profusely, his skin reflecting the heat that was gradually taking over the forest. Behind him, Marie seemed paralyzed by the dance between the fire and its victim. The man with the watch, impatient, shouted:

  “Aim for her eyes!”

  The order unlocked something in the swordsman's mind. As soon as he dodged the last flame, he lunged at Serpentine, sword raised. The woman quickly called on the fire, which stood between her and the man like a barrier. A long battle ensued between two wills: Serpentine's, guiding her fire to get rid of the intruder without burning down the entire forest, and the adventurer's, desperately trying to find an opening to gouge her eyes out. Despite his breathlessness, it was obvious that the man was no beginner. Each of his steps was measured to the millimeter, his movements seeking both evasion and a potential opening. At the slightest lapse in concentration, he would punish her severely. Serpentine licked her lips. It’d been so long since anyone had resisted her like this; his flesh would be all the more delicious. Just as she was about to turn up the heat to finally roast her opponent, a blade whizzed past her eyes. Her reflexes kicked in, allowing her to dodge the knife thrown at her right side by a hair's breadth. Surprised, she stopped the flames. The swordsman also lowered his weapon in annoyance.

  “Hey! That’s my fight ! Why did you interrupt us?!”

  The man with the watch, who had taken advantage of Serpentine's inattention to capture Marie, was strangling the woman with one arm while materializing a new knife with his free hand.

  "Don't be an idiot, Clyde. You're messing around with her when it's obvious she's higher level than she looks. Kill her and let's get out of here."

  The swordsman ran his free hand through his hair in annoyance.

  “Tsk, for once we had a fun prey...”

  Marie was trying to break free from the man's grip while swearing like a drunkard. Clearly, the cries of such a weak creature did little to impress the man with the watch, who continued to point his knife at Serpentine without flinching. For him, restraining a woman with one arm while aiming at moving targets seemed like an everyday occurrence. The swordsman growled.

  “Could you shut that girl up before we get down to business? She’s hurting my ears.”

  “Did you hear that? Stop fidgeting. If you keep this up, we won’t defend you when you’re tried for consorting with monsters- Ah! Bitch! Did you just bite me?!”

  The man violently let go of Marie and punched her in the cheek, knocking her to the ground. With an expert movement, he twirled his knife and pointed it at her.

  "Ever since that damn slut became a general, women have forgotten their place. Fuck, the world is really going downhill. Fine. You asked for it. I'm going to leave some nice scars on your pretty skin, so that no man will ever want to marry you."

  A huge ball of fire engulfed the adventurer before he could carry out his threat, consuming him entirely. The swordsman turned to Serpentine in rage, sword ready to rise. The spirit turned her gaze toward him. Obeying her command, the ball of fire, like a whip, snapped and lunged at the swordsman at the speed of light. Unlike his companion, who hadn’t had time to yell before being roasted by the flames, he screamed at the top of his lungs. Trying in vain to break free from the grip of the burning fire, he fell to the ground, his legs already burned to the third degree. He waved his sword frantically at the flames.

  “Damn it! Why isn't it working?! Why isn't the Forge cutting through these damn flames?! Damn it! I'm not going to die here! I'm not going to die here!”

  Serpentine slowly advanced toward him, her red eyes fixed on his ridiculous form. She let her fire melt the sword, then placed her foot on the man's chest, stabilizing him as much as humiliating him. Her voice was nothing more than the vicious whisper of a snake hungry for flesh.

  “Your level is just too low for a spirit like me. That's why nothing works. Do you understand now? I was the one playing with you, from the beginning.”

  They had managed to enrage her. To threaten Marie and attempt to take her life... Ah. Humans had a tendency to do that: to tread on territory that didn’t belong to them, to break other people's possessions, to be disrespectful of differences... Serpentine gave a grotesque smile. These two fools had been prepared to disfigure her pet before her very eyes. The fire that was consuming the adventurer's legs spread to the grass nearby, then to the bushes. It grew and grew, feeding on the wildlife while feeding Serpentine's hungry heart, whose soul rumbled with a dull violence.

  “Y-you're not a normal monster... you're-”

  The fire consumed him before he could finish his sentence. Serpentine's foot remained on the man's chest for a moment, until it burst into charred ashes. The heat tickled the spirit's skin pleasantly, as she took a deep breath. Around her, the fire spread to the surrounding trees. Smoke filled the air and rose up to the sky. Soon, the land would be consumed by red and yellow, then ending up as black dust.

  Marie coughed loudly, her skin glistening in the light, ready to fry. Her lungs struggled to take in the poisonous air. Serpentine watched her crawl towards her on all fours. The spirit raised an eyebrow when the pathetic figure of her human, prostrate on the ground, grabbed the hem of her dress and clutched it, like a devotee seeking contact with her savior. Instead of freeing herself from the human's weak grip, Serpentine crouched down to her level so she could look into her eyes. Fear, misery, despair, panic, that was what she had expected to find in Marie's eyes at that moment. After all, hadn't she cheated death several times that evening? Wasn't she expecting to be burned alive at any moment? Wasn't she suffocating and roasting? Yet there, just inches from her face, Serpentine found none of that. No. All she saw was a dazzling smile. Her heart skipped a beat. Marie whispered, her eyes filled with a mad nectar that no human or spirit could imitate:

  “Keep going... keep going. You'll kill them all, my love.”

  Then she sank into unconsciousness. Serpentine caught her in her arms before her head hit the ground. The fire continued to rise, greedily devouring the living space of her Empire. Since birth, Serpentine had been raised to respect the forest of Olynthe. The vast territory must not be consumed by the flames of its guardians, for then the Empire's territory would shrink. Every spirit of fire knew that burning forests was a grave mistake. Yet a corner of her mind screamed that it would be good to let everything burn. To let the world, no the gods, see her power.

  You’ll kill them all, my love.

  That sentence, that tone, that voice resonated deep within her being. This Marie who had addressed her, drunk with weakness, had a distinctive smell. A strong, powerful, deep smell. A smell that was right. Serpentine felt her fire losing ground. Slowly, she looked away from her human's frail body and raised her head. A few steps away, a teenage girl stood silently assessing the scene. The light from the fire revealed her coal-black skin, hair of the same color, and abyssal blue eyes. On her back hung a huge jar, contrasting with the lightness of her clothes, which covered only her chest and lower body in a long skirt. Perched on her shoulder was a frog, which stared at Serpentine with the same neutrality. Water spirits. Finally, the teenager spoke in a clear voice.

  “You should put out your fire. The humans from the neighboring city are particularly aggressive at the moment.”

  “And?”

  “You'll attract attention.”

  Serpentine gently placed Marie on the ground before standing up. The young water spirit raised an eyebrow.

  “She'll die too. Smoke is bad for humans.”

  Serpentine nodded.

  “You are?”

  “Yatziri.”

  The frog croaked.

  “And this is Itzel.”

  Serpentine’s lack of reaction made the teenager giggle. Happily, she added:

  “I think we have quite a lot to discuss, spirit of fire. Why don't you follow me to Amazona? As it happens, I was hoping to find some help. I'm glad I found you.”

  Serpentine glanced at Marie's sleeping face. The fire continued to crackle. But little by little, it imitated the human and drifted into the darkness of sleep, leaving only the stars to illuminate the dark night.

  Of all the deities, Heh possesses the most frightening and incomprehensible reign there is. Even for us, his siblings. - The Truths of Djehuty